Converting copper matte



Patented July 10, 1934 1 CONVERTING COPPER MATTE Thomas Willard Cavers and George McCrory Lee, Anyox, British Columbia, Canada No Drawing. Application September 6, 1933,

Serial No. 688,392

12 Claims. (Cl- 75-62) The present invention is based upon the discontaining them, all'being blown to white metal covery made by'us that, in the production of nieas before. talllc copper from matte by the Bessemerizing While the prior practice has been to oxidize a process, after the formation of white metal, the small percentage of the copper of a batch in first portion of the blister copper produced cara reverberatory furnace for the refining of cop- (L0 ries down with it the major part o'f the precious per in which practice the copper oxide permetals (gold, platinum and the like) and the imformed the office of carrying oxygen to the arpurities (arsenic, antimony and like metals) senic, antimony, bismuth and like metals alloyed present in the original matte and the fluxes and, with the copper, to force them to pass off as that when the white metal has been separated slag or gas, that process could not be employed from the first blister by skimming and removed for the recovery of precious metals.

to another convertor, blown to metallic copper In the present invention, all of the copper and the blowing continued until most or a large that is refined (except the portions which may proportion of the copper has been oxidized, the have been electrolytically refined as herein de- 5- copper remaining unoxidized contains practiscribed), has first been in the form of copper ox- Z0 cally all of the precious metals that were left in .ide; the operation from matte to finished prodthe white metal of the first operation and, that uct is continuous, since the materials are never the oxidized copper, copper oxide, may be allowed to cool until the copper is finally poured skimmed from the metallic copper and reduced into molds; and t e Whole Operation y be Con- 20 in another vessel by carbon or some other reducducted in convertors, although the reduction of ing agent, thus producing refined copper, that is, the copper oxide may be made in a small revercopper free from precious metals and impurities beratory furnace. such as arsenic, antimony and the like. The advantage of treating matte by bringing In accordance with the present invention, we it up to white metal and blowing to throw down- 5 start with matte and first form the white metal part of the copper contained in the white metal, and slag by blowing the matte in the presence as an integral part of the process, resides in the of a flux with air in a Bessemer convertor, and fact that most or practically all of the arsenic,

then separate the slag from the white metal, as antimony and like metals p Which, n e in the approved prior practice. Then we blow copper industry are considered as impurities, mi-

30 the white metal in the convertor with air until grate from the sulphide (white metal) to the mesome copper (preferably a small proportion of tallic copper and remain in the convertor when the copper) has been thrown down from the white the White meta is skimm d O hus e d i the metal;.then we separate the white metal (or most copper produced from the pp de of t e of it) from the copper, and continue the blowing subsequent operation purer than it otherwise 35 of the separated white metal with air in anwould be. other convertor up to and beyond the blister cop- The copper blister, which is enriched with per stage and until most of the copper has been pr ious m ls, may be as l w as -q r r oxidized. The copper oxide is liquid at the temof one per cent of the total copper produced, and perature obtaining in the convertor and floats may be refined electrolytically for the recove 40 on the metal bath in the convertor. Then the of the precious metals it contains. copper oxide is separated from the metallic cop- The refined copper produced from the oxide per and removed to another vessel or apparatus in the manner above indicated has been found to where it is reduced to refined copper by wood, contain 0.015 ounces gold, 8.9 ounces silver per coke, charcoal or some other suitable reducing ton of cop 45 agent. The copper remaining in the convertor The copp Oxide is reduced p bly in a hot 10 after the copper oxide has been removed, eonvessel or chamber lined with magnesite or other tains precious metals. .It may be finished as it is r fra t ry i l, and the ke or charcoal and treated electrolytically for the recovery of used for reduction f h xi may e previousthe gold, silver and like t l or it, may form ly heated to redness before it is contacted with 50 th basis of a. new charge by th dd t of the copper oxide, thereby shortening the time of matte, thus starting the cycle anew; or it may be reduction and Producing, y the rapidity of t combined with the copper left after the white reaction between the copp Oxide and the hot metal of the first blowing of white metal has carbon sufficient heat to keep the copper in a been removed and the process begun all over molten state until cast. For example, the liquid 55 again by the addition of matte to the convertor copper oxide may be poured or allowed to dered hot coke or carbon, and the copper as me- 5 We claim:

1. In the art of producing copper from matte, a method of producing copper of different grades, one grade containing practically all of the precious metals originally contained in the matte and flux and another being practically free from the precious metals and such impurities as arsenic, antimony, bismuth and like metals, in a continuous process from matte to the said end products, by blowing the matte to metallic copper and copper oxide, separating copper oxide and reducing it to metallic copper.

2. In the converting of copper, a method of producing copper containing practically all of the precious metals and the impurities contained in the matte and flux, which comprises blowing matte in a convertor until white metal is produced, continuing the blowing after removing the slag, until some metallic copper has been thrown down, separating the remaining white metal from the copper, which copper contains practically all the impurities and a large part of the precious metals, blowing the white metal in another convertor until the charge is finished, continuing the blowing until most of the copper has been oxidized leaving a small portion of metallic copper, and removing the copper oxide from the metallic copper that contains practically all of the precious metals carried over with the white metal from the first operation.

,3. In the converting of copper, a method of producing copper practically free from the precious metals and impurities such as arsenic, antimony and the like, originally contained in the matte and fiux, which comprises blowing matte in a convertor until white metal has been produced and the slag removed by skimming, continuing the blowing until some metallic copper has been thrown down, skimming 011' most of the white metal remaining, transferring it to another vessel, blowing thewhite metal until the charge is finished, that is, until substantially all the copper is in the metallic state, continuing the blowing until a large percentage of the copper has been oxidized, skimming ofl the copper oxide and transferring it to another vessel, there reducing the oxide to metallic copper by a reducing agent, thus producing refined copper.

4. In the converting of copper, a method of producing copper practically free from the precious metals and impurities such as arsenic, antimony and the like, originally contained in the matte and flux, which comprises blowing matte in a convertor until white metal has been produced and the slag removed by skimming, continuing the blowing until some metallic copper has been thrown down, skimming off most of the white metal remaining, transferring it to another vessel, blowing the white metal until the charge is finished, that is until substantially all the copper is in the metallic state, continuing the blowing until a large percentage of the copper has been oxidized, skimming off the copper oxide and transferring it to another vessel containing a heated reducing agent, thereby reducing the oxide and producing refined copper.

5. In the converting of copper, a method of producing copper practically free from the precious metals and impurities such as arsenic, antimony and the like, originally contained in the matte and flux, which comprises blowing 1,966,376 scend (preferably slowly) through a column 01' matte in a convertor until white metal has been produced and the slag removed by skimming, continuing the blowing until some metallic copper has been thrown down, skimming oil most of the white metal remaining, transferring it to another vessel, blowing the white metal until the charge is finished, that is, until substantially all the copper is in the metallic state, continuing the blowing until a large percentage of the copper has been oxidized, skimming oil the copper oxide and pouring it slowly through a column of red hot carbonaceous material and receiving the reduced metal in a suitable vessel.

6. In the converting of copper, a method of producing a fraction of the total production as copper containing practically all of the precious metals originally contained in the matte and flux, which comprises blowing matte in a convertor until white metal has been produced and the slag removed by skimming, continuing the blowing until some metallic copper has been thrown down, skimming off most of the white metal remaining, transferring the white metal to another convertor, blowing until the charge is finished, continuing the blowing until a larger percentage of the copper has been oxidized, skimming off the copper oxide, adding new matte to the copper remaining and following the same process as if it were all new matte, to build up a new charge for the production of both refined copper and precious-metal-bearing copper.

7. In the converting of copper, a method of producing a fraction of the total production as copper containing practically all of the precious metals originally contained in the matte and flux, which comprises blowing matte in a convertor until white metal has been produced and the slag removed by skimming, continuing the blowing until some metallic copper has been thrown down, skimming oil most of the white metal remaining, transferring the white metal to another convertor, blowing until the charge is finished, continuing the blowing until a large percentage of the copper has been oxidized, skimming oil the copper oxide, combining the remaining copper with the copper left in the convertor after the white metal has been skimmed oil in the first operation, adding matte to the combined portions of copper and proceeding as if it were an entirely new charge of matte, continuing the cycle of operations until the copper remaining after .white metal and copper oxide have been skimmed ofl has reached the desired degree of concentration of the precious metals.

8. The process of producing copper from matte which comprises blowing matte to white metal, blowing white metal so produced until a small part is transformed into metallic copper, separating white metal from the mass resulting from the preceding step and thereafter blowing the white metal so separated until it is largely converted into copper oxide.

9. The process of producing copper from matte which comprises blowing matte to white metal, blowing white metal so produced until a small part is transformed into metallic copper, separating white metal from the mass resulting from the preceding step and thereafter blowing the white metal so separated until it is converted into metallic copper and a larger amount of copper oxide.

10. The process of treating white metal, resulting from the blowing of copper matte, which comprises blowing the white metal until the charge is finished, that is, until substantially all the copper is in the metallic state, continuing the blowing until a large percentage, but not all,

of the copper has been oxidized, separating copper oxide formed from remaining metallic copper, and reducing the copper oxide to produce refined copper. v

11. The process of treating white metal which comprises blowing white metal until it is converted into copper, blowing said copper until it 

